Illumination by Rowan Speedwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Illumination was a fascinating eBook. I was worried the subject matter would revolve around the day in and day out of a rock star. While it did matter, quite a bit, Adam wasn't really the focus of this eBook.

Miles is, by far, the driving character behind the story, though we don't meet him first. He is complex, and has a personality behind the personality. I don't want to give away any of the lovely complexities in this story via spoilers... but what you think you know about him gets completely turned around as the story progresses. Rowan's multi-layered character must be acknowledged as a superior example of how to write a person in a story that feels completely real.

I loved the damage the characters have, and the challenges they face, and the strength it takes for them to overcome. There's a lot of external drama, and internal, between Miles and Adam. I dislike the lack of communication being a pivotal point between characters, but in Illumination that was actually a part of their personalities that made perfect sense. It wasn't just to drive the conflict to new heights, there were understandable reasons why the romance devolves.

Now, I won't get more explicit than that. There's angst, and drama, and some heart-break, emotional flaws, anger... and art. I can't forget about the art. I'm in love with the visuals Rowan created for the illuminations Miles did, so much so that I wanted one. I wish the cover could have shown that aspect of the story better. It felt like a color by number marker painting, not an intricate, custom illumination around a page of script.

So, all in all, to sum up... great characters, good drama, and a satisfying ending that I won't spoil, lol.

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